Foundation garments



May 19, 1959 M. B. BAXTER FOUNDATION GARMENTS Filed Aug. 24, 1956 m A v, M m w 7 M K a L m m 6 7 I Q w United States Patent 2,887,114 FOUNDATION GARMENTS l Margaret B. Baxter, New Brunswick, NJ.

Application August 24, 1956, Serial No. 606,148

3 Claims. 01. 128-525) This invention relates to foundation garments such as surgical supports, corsets, girdles, corselettes, and the like. The invention is also applicable to surgical garments for patients using bilateral long-leg braces.

. Itjis-the primary function of all foundation garments to produce a slender appearance of the body of the wearer, especially in the abdominal and buttocks regions of the torso.

Another function of a foundation garment is to hold up the hose of the wearer; the suspended hose, in turn, serve to anchor the bottom of the foundation garment. In certain forms of foundation garments, such as some surgical foundation garments employing a thigh band, suspenders for hose are not used, and in the absence of such anchoring means, the garment will roll or curl after the wearer sits for a prolonged period of time. The same ditficulty with foundation garments is sometimes experienced when the wearer does not wear hose.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved foundation garment.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved surgical garment.

According to this invention there is provided a foundation garment wherein a series of small weights are put in the lower edge of the garment to prevent the garment from rolling or curling up when the wearer sits for prolonged periods of time. In one form of the invention trapezoidiform sections of elastic material are included in a thigh band which in combination with .a triangular shaped elastic section in the main section of the garment together with the weights along the bottom of the thigh band function to provide an improved foundation garment with form-fitting, shaping, retention, and supporting qualities.

Other and incidental objects of the invention will become apparent after a reading of the following specification when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 shows a front view of the present invention in one of its forms.

Figure 2 shows a rear view of the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 shows a side view of the garment shown in Figure 1.

A foundation garment is a sleeve shaped member designed to conform to the lower portion of the trunk of the wearer.

Referring now in detail to the figures of the drawing, there is shown a foundation garment consisting essentially of a main section 11 and a thigh band 13. The main section 11 may be divided, for the purpose of explanation into a back section 15 and side sections 17. The side sections 17 are adapted to encircle the torso and be joined in the front of the body with fasteners 19.

The back section 15 may contain rigid stiffening members 21 in the form of thin steel strips. Similar stiffening members may also be included in the end of the side Section 17 as indicated in the drawing at 23.

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The garment consists essentially of inelastic material with sections of elastic material at certain. areas to pro-f vide the necessary flexibility of the garment. The main. or back section 15 has a triangular section of elastic material 25 positioned along its lower edge as indicated in Figure 1. The side sections 17 each contain a section of elastic material 27 along their lower edges.

The thigh band sections 13 are attached to the back section 15 with trapezoidiform members of elastic ma-. terial 2 9. The trapezoidiform members 20 extend sub-j stantially the .full width of the thigh band sections 13 and are attached to the back section 15 in a diagonal line 31. i Along the lower edge of the thigh band 13 just inside of an edging 33 there is positioned a series of weights 35 which may be fastened in place between two layers of the material of which the thigh bands 13 are constructed.

The edging 33 may be of a stiffer material than the,

of small flat lead pellets, either rectangular in form or round, such as wafers. In one form of the invention two rows of pellets are used to give improved distribution of the weights.

The weights 35 distributed along the lower edge of the thigh band 13 prevent the thigh band from raising on the torso and also prevent the thigh band from curling upward along its lower edge when the wearer is in a seated position for extended periods of time.

In the form of the invention shown, the distribution of the weights 35 together with the trapezoidiform elastic members 29 provide in combination an arrangement which forms a thigh band tending to maintain its desired position under many conditions and forms of movement.

When using a conventional or form fit garment for complete back support of a patient with bi-lateral longleg braces a thigh band 13 will help to hold and form-fit the adipose or pseudo-atrophy flesh surrounding the hips.

The thigh band 13 is made of :coutil cloth with weight at the inferior border of the thigh band 13 as illustrated by weight 35. The thigh band width is dependent upon the age and size of the individual.

The left and right thigh band sections 13 would be fastened together anteriorally by an elastic lacer through holes 37 in the thigh band 13.

The attachment of the thigh band sections 13 through the elastic material 29 are at the inferior and lateral borders of the garments gluteal support. This is indicated in the drawing at Figure 2 as numeral 31. The thigh band sections 13 then run upward and at an oblique angle covering the gluteus medius and hip joint areas. The thigh band sections 13 then come forward and inferior to the anterior spines of the ilium, dip slightly downward and fasten together below the umbilicus.

The particular form of the invention shown is especially useful in application for patients who wear bilateral long-leg braces and have ditficulty in maintaining a good cosmetic appearance. In the standing position of the patient there is usually a bulging or protruding effect around the thighs because of the counteracting pressures of the upper body and lower extremities. The braces hold the thigh flesh of the extremities and the garment holds the flesh of the upper hips and abdomen. The bulging effect of the flesh between the garment and the braces has no support, therefore the useful application of the thigh bands is to support and control this flesh. The thigh band 13 prevents the flesh between the braces and the garment from protruding.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed 1s:

1. A foundation garment having a back section, said back section having extensions for encircling the body, a pair of thigh band sections attached to said back section along diagonal lines extending upward and outward in said back section adjacent the lower extremity of said back section, the attachments of said thigh band to said. ba'ck section including sections of elastic material taking theform of a trapezoid, said thigh band sections curving gently upward to meet in the front of the body and to be fastened together with an elastic lacer, and a series of weights distributed along the bottom of said thigh band to maintain said thigh band in the proper position.

2. A torso encircling foundation garment for complete back support having a main section and a thigh band to assist in holding and to form-fit the adipose surrounding the hips, said thigh band being made of cloth having a plurality of weights at the inferior border of said thigh band, said thigh band being divided and adapted to be fastened together anteriorally by an elastic lacer, said thigh band being attached to said main section of the garment at the inferior and lateral borders of the garments back support, said thigh bands attached to said main section at an angle and shaped to extend obliquely upward covering the gluteus medius and hip joint areas and thence forward and inferior to the anterior spines of the ilium and thence dip slightly downward to fasten below the umbilicus.

3. A foundation garment having a back section, said back section having extensions at its side adapted to be fastened together in front of the body, a thigh band consisting of two sections, said thigh band sections attached to said back section and adapted to be fastened together in front of the body, an edging along the bottom edge of said thigh band, said edging being of a stiffer material than the material of which the remainder of said thigh band is constructed, and a series of weights in said thigh band and extending along the upper edge of said edging.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

